Bumps ... and Financial Goosebumps

Well, six weeks to go before we start rehearsals and I've already lost my first cast member -- even before I've completed the original casting!

Not completely surprised, though. I figured I might lose one or two, but for other reasons. My ex-cast member had something serious and personal to deal with and respected me enough to confide in me. And I agreed that leaving the show would be the best thing for him/her at this time.

I had thought since my show is rehearsing and playing through much of the "holiday season", that a few of my actors would leave because they got "better offers" or decided they'd rather go skiing. I'm pleased to say that's not case -- as of this writing.

And I'm also very pleased that when my existing cast members heard the news, they sprang into action and spread the word about openings in our cast to their much younger grapevine. I feel I'm so much older than they are that I'm more a raisin than a grape these days.

So I'm hearing a few more people on Sunday night. Back in the comfort of the theater where I essentially started my directing "career". And one of my cast members volunteered to play piano for these Poptimist wannabes.

In addition, I'm now at the point where my decisions will be costing money.

While I have the generous assurance that everything will be covered, I still hate spending other people's money, especially when that money belongs to people I know personally. And I'm also facing the embarrassment of having to ask for money up front since I'm in no position to front the money myself, even for a few days.

I'm committed now (or should have been long ago). I'm torn between doing what's best for the show, and being frugal for the sake of my backers.

As usual, the answer will lie somewhere between. (Man, I hate it when Eastern philosophy f*cks with my art.)

So off I go to cost a set and the costumes (both mercifully are quite simple and easy to procure). And I need to set up photo shoots, schedule publicity which doesn't overlap the publicity that my partner company may or may not be planning.

I directed once for the American Musical Theatre of San Jose (then known as San Jose Civic Light Opera). They were once the largest subscription musical theater in the country -- and went bankrupt late last year, just months short of their 75th anniversary.

They were such an "organization" that all I had to do as the Director was direct and spearhead creative meetings. That was it. I didn't have to design, create, shop for or build anything.

It was Heaven.

But I'm willing to work harder for a show I've created from scratch. New everything, no pre-conceptions of how the show should be done, no idiots singing along in the audience because the score is being debuted, no weird "non-traditional casting" to cover the fact that a director can't come up with a new enough concept within the framework of the script to keep it fresh and entertaining as originally intended. (That was the playwright and composer in me getting in a little jab.)

So ... spend I will. Build I will. Stage I will. Vocally direct I will.

Man ... I have a lot of will!